Contending Against Herod

Matthew 2:16 ESV

Then Herod, when he saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, became furious, and he sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that region who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had ascertained from the wise men.

Pray for deliverance of those who are being persecuted, who are asleep, and in need of liberation.

Assault that has besieged the church

Putting the people to sleep

Wounding the body

Killing its ministers

Heroes of the Faith

Abram through the famine

If Abraham doesn’t who was next?

Moses through the blurring of identity (killing of babies)

If Moses does not who was next?

David through the persecution

If David doesn’t who is next?

Each one of the apostles through the levels of suffering

Assailing that is so intense it is enough to place the strongest of believers in a posture of

going to sleep

picking up a wound so deep it chases the person away from ministry

Succumbing to a spiritual death

Looking at Peter to better understand the progression of Jails/Prisons

What happens to us as a body?

What happens to a person as they want to stand and serve?

What happens to a person who is moving from just serving to leading?

Herod in this verse

Kills children 2 years old and younger as they are a threat to his kingdom

This is a strategy that is at work today more than ever.

Do not lose hope… We are given a strategy out of the grips of this spirit that is assailing the church.

Today more than ever, we cannot stay silent

Today more than ever, we must take action

Individually we have a call to contend against this enemy

As a church we are given the strategy to contend against this enemy

You have been called and made for such a time as this to contend against an enemy that has ravaged the body of believers

Growing into the Lord

John 21:18 ESV

Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you used to dress yourself and walk wherever you wanted, but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and carry you where you do not want to go.”

The maturing in the Lord Process

You gave your life to the Lord

You sense the desire to serve

You sense the call to lead

along the way you are met with resistance from the enemy

Peter’s progression

Heard the call to follow the Lord

Decided to follow

Saw the hand of the Lord move powerfully

grew in his belief

Witnessed the death of Jesus

was rocked

denies Jesus to a 12yo girl

Turns to the Lord despite his guilt and shame

Promise of the Lord to Peter

Peter was told he would deny Christ 3 times;

After being commended for his faith

“…On this rock I will build my church…”

John 21:18 tells us that there is a walk we take in our growth into the Lord

Initially as we learn to hear the voice of the Lord we tend to jump into things and more or less go where we want

we take on assignments that may not belong to us as we are learning

In our maturing we learn to hear the voice of the Lord as we learn that obedience to His voice is what is being asked of us.

at some point it is the Holy Spirit who is dressing us and leading us even into things we never thought imaginable

Weathering the Various Trials

In Peter’s formation

He learned to trust the Lord

Go and do as the Lord asked

Overcome the fighting/anger

cutting the ear off of a Soldier

Trials yielded a Boldness and courage in Peter

Acts 4:18–21 ESV

So they called them and charged them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John answered them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge, for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard.” And when they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding no way to punish them, because of the people, for all were praising God for what had happened.

Peter in the face of adversity leaned into the Lord and would not pull back

For Peter as it should be for us these yield in us a decision that must be made

whether it is right in the sight of men to listen to what others want or to listen to the Lord is for them to decide

we must tell of what we have seen and heard.

We learn from Acts 5 that Peter made a decision to continue to do the work of ministry which led to him being beat

His standing led to other praying for boldness

Facing the Herod

6 different Herod’s found in scripture

Each wanted to destroy the

Leadership

Body

if Herod has surfaced in your life know that you have a value and are posing a threat to his kingdom

Acts 12 Peter

The once courageous Peter is found sleeping

16 guards appointed to ensure he would not escape

Innermost part of prison two gates

two chains attached to him

disrobed

put off hid sandals

was he just resolved to meet the same end that James had met?

The thing is that as strong as you may be we are all in need of tending to the very wounds that are impacting our soul

I cannot imagine what he was thinking as he understood James had been killed and Herod was going to do the same to him.

Contending Against Herod

Acts 12:7 ESV

And behold, an angel of the Lord stood next to him, and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him, saying, “Get up quickly.” And the chains fell off his hands.

No matter where you are or what prison you are found in The Lord is Sending Help

there is a light shining in the cell

He has not abandoned you

Struck on the side

no matter how bright that light is it may be hard to see

striking to the side is a work of ministration to the soul that everyone of us is in need of

Get up quickly

wake up

do so quickly

when you get up the chains that once held tightly onto you will fall… you have to get up no one else is going to do it for you

Acts 12:8 ESV

And the angel said to him, “Dress yourself and put on your sandals.” And he did so. And he said to him, “Wrap your cloak around you and follow me.”

4. Dress yourself

a. put on the assignment that the Lord has given you… even if you no longer feel worthy

b. 1 Pet accept your assignment quickly

5. Put on your sandals

a. Gospel of peace carry it

6. Put on your cloak

a. Remnant Church you have a cover if you have set it down put it back on

b. Important for you to be at the church the Lord has called you to and to be found filling the role He is calling you into.

7. Luke 13:31-33 Every time you hear the Herod telling you to stop you have one response

a. Go and tell that fox… I’ll stop when I am good and ready… I must accomplish what my Father has sent me for

In this the Lord will rescue you from

Herod: Lying twisting crafty dragon that wants you to surrender your ministry

Jewish: religious institution that wants you to walk a specific way and if you do not they will turn you over to die.

Church Responsibility Acts 12:5 Be found in earnest prayer to God for those contending against the Herod